TWO  WORDS: 

INSIGHT  AND  INSCRUTABLE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 29^th Wednesday in Ordinary time is, “Two Words: Insight and Inscrutable.”

I noticed both these words in the English translation for today’s first reading from the Letter to the Ephesians.

Insight as in “my insight into the mystery of Christ….”

Inscrutable as in “the inscrutable riches of Christ….”

IT’S GREEK TO ME

I often notice in books about preaching, “Don’t quote Greek words in the pulpit.” Then they give the reason: “It turns people off” or “They have no clue what you are talking about.”  or “It’s Greek to me.”

Yet the New Testament is written in Greek. We’re dealing with translations from the pulpit in the readings at Mass. So the Greek is very important. We have gone beyond the days when people thought the Bible was written in King James English.

Moreover, when I read the English translation - like that of today’s first reading from Ephesians - I get a thought - and say, “Wow that’s a good idea to think about.” That’s what happened when the two words - insight and inscrutable jumped up out of the text for me today.  

It’s then that I hear a challenge: “Check out the Greek.”

Then I say to myself, “Will what I found out help those I’m talking to today?”

Then I sometimes say, “Give it a try. If it’s boring, it’s only a 2 page homily.” [Show 2 pieces of paper.]

SO HERE GOES WITH SOME TRANSLATION COMMENTS

I couldn’t find the word “insight” in other translations.

Insight means seeing within. Seeing within. An insight is seeing what’s inside. 

The Greek word is “sunesin” - which can be translated, “insight” or  my “perception”, my “understanding”, my “putting two and two together”, or “figuring”, “considering”.

The refrigerator door is closed and it’s dark and cold in there. When we open up the door, the light goes on and we see some of the things that are within the refrigerator.

And what does Paul get in insight into: Christ.

On the road to Damascus he was blinded - and as a result he was in the dark - and in the dark he saw a new light: Christ.

As they say in AA and other 12 programs, “Sometimes you have to hit bottom to rise.”  “Sometimes you have to bottom out - to get out from where you are under or within.”

So Paul got the insight to see who Christ is - the one he was persecuting.

The next word is “inscrutable”.  I don’t ever remember using that word - but it’s a good word. In Greek the word is “anexichniaston”.  It means “inscrutable” or “unsearchable”, “without a footprint”, “something that we can’t trace”.

Paul is saying that Christ is all gift.

Today’s gospel talks about a thief breaking into a house.

We can say to Jesus, break into my house. Break through my walls. Enter into me and don’t let me wait. Surprise me now. Today, open up this cold refridgerator called “me” and put the light on - and let me see your presence within me.

And I will serve you.

And I will stop beating others - being rough on others. I will serve them instead.  They deserve my service

CONCLUSION -

Surprise. Jesus will sit us down and serve us the best of bread the best of wine. Surprise! Isn’t that why we’re here at Mass? We’ve had that insight years ago and have been taking advantage of being within Christ the inscrutable insight ever since.